rank in the marine's> quick or slow?

[RON 68]

i ended up a pfc out of i.t.r. may 69,lcpl out of school's montford point,and cpl, at my first duty first duty station camp lejuene reg.fitness center bld 1309,and stayed cpl. for the next two plus year's, till over seas order's. had letter of recom. to sgt.when orders received.{never got it }and when five month tour!!was over! yep you heard it right.i was sent over with five months and one day to go!they offered me sgt upon relad order's then if i reupped for three more year's.they would have made me staff sgt.

did my three year active and left.and three years reserve.

it seems today i see marines who are gunny in three years or faster.

did they change ratings and give faster promo.later on? and i was no goldbricker. i had two good conduct awards. and a clean page 12 or 10 whatever they called it.

i know it's old news and history. i just wondered about the rank thing.back then we had p.f.c.'s who where in for five year's. semper=fi. RON 68

[SGTBrentG]

A 3 year gunny??? I never saw one of those! It seems to me that would be impossible...has anyone seen this happen?

[Namvet67]

Never seen any Marine make Gunny in 3 years. E-5 Sgt yes.

[zx6rdr]

I havent heard of a three year gunny either....

Although I was not in back when you were, i do not belive they have changed the system. I was a LCpl for close to 3.5 years, had my good "cookie" and no pg 11 entries. Finally picked up Cpl just before i got out.

[RON 68]

he was at a vets parade with a host of ribbon's.the "Welcome Home" Chicago nam vets parade. june 13,1986,i know its been along time.then i guess ranking has not changed much, making cpl. within six months was good for me i guess.just back then it seemed like nothing.thanks for the input guy's.

i guess if i would have taken the reup and made staff that would have been good.however getting shipped back in a body bag from danang was not my intention then.{ since with reup was headed there.

i always used to say they gave marines 13 month tour's.that final month was to pray and suffer, and to hope to come back in one piece. i figure marines don't think much about that anymore.semper-fi.RON 68

[Eric Hood]

I think it depends on the MOS. The smaller the field, the slower the promotions. I was a grunt in the late seventies early eighties. If you were really squared away, did you job well, and stayed in one unit your whole enlistment, you could make SGT. in four. Not everyone did, but several guys did. I never so anyone make Staff NCO with less than five years, but my evidence is anecdotal.
Semper Fi,
Eric

[hrscowboy]

That would be something to research i dont know how but i would like to know how fast a person was promoted from PVT to SSGT.. Wonder if the Marine Corps keep records on that...

[SSgt Blue]

I’m going to pull my trump card out on that one…. I have seen a Marine make SSgt in five, but a Gunny in three. I think not.

[SkilletsUSMC]

My grandpa made Ssgt in 3 years back in WW2. Wartime+Heavy Casualties=lots of rank and open billets.

[TazMatt]

I saw a Gunny that had under fours years in. He got it pretty much all meritorious on the drill field.I ran cash sales for 18 months in 1973-1975 and saw drill instructors pick up rank fairly easy. I don't say this happened all the time but I do know I saw him with Gunny stripes,no hash marks and just a firewatch ribbon and a Good boy award.

[Kegler300]

I find this hard to believe...

[ggyoung]

SkilletsUSMC________++++++++++Back then a S/SGT. was a E-5 The rank changed in about 1960.

[Kegler300]

I didn't pick up gunny until I had 14 years in the Corps..and that was with two meritorious promotions prior...

[ggyoung]

TazMatt=========The most squred away I have ever seen came back from Viet in 1969 went to D.I. school and grauduated #1 in his class. They tould him if you ship over we will make a S/SGT. He wanted staff before he would ship over. The Corp told the can not promote to S/Sgt. on a 1st. inlistment.

[GUNNY MAX]

I think the MOS and T.O. strength has alot to do with it. As an Air Winger, It took me 13 years to make SSGT (just barely evaded the kick for high year tenure), couldn't go to the Drill Field because of "Critical MOS", yet had a hell of a time getting promoted (8 years as a Sgt) because there were too many SNCO's at the time. Then it seemed they opened the flood gates and there were Marines making Sgt after 4 years time in service and SSGT in 6. (Never seen or heard of anyone making Gunny in 3 or 5 though)